


Safe Harbour

by Ononymous



Series: Christmas 2019 Stories and Requests [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:28:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21989545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous
Summary: It can be easy to see someone not really getting in the spirit of the season, and wanting to help them do so. That was Frisk'sraison d'être. But even the noblest of intentions can go too far and provoke unexpected reactions. Decrying those occasions was Chara'sraison d'être.Asriel just had some raisins.
Series: Christmas 2019 Stories and Requests [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580731
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Safe Harbour

The snow settling on the window obviously betrayed the fact that it was winter, even before one noticed the dazzling light arrangements on the streets and neighbouring houses. The room the window belonged to did not reflect the festive mood. Not that it was shrouded in darkness, for a bedside lamp was alight, its owner using it to read a book. By most standards it was a pretty dull book, but said owner found the extra effort required to pay attention to it was good cognitive exercise to prevent their thoughts running away to unhealthy areas. A knock on the door soon gave them another distraction, as it opened to reveal a child with scruffy brown hair.

"Chara? Mom says there's soup for lunch if you're hungry."

Chara looked up from their book. "Thank you, Frisk. Tell Toriel I shall be down in a moment."

Frisk didn't move however. Chara watched their grey eyes dart all around the room. "Is something the matter?"

Frisk knew the risks of what they were about to say, and went ahead regardless. "I just... your room's not very festive, is it? Asriel and I practically covered up our walls with decorations."

As Frisk anticipated, Chara gave a grunt that was both a sign of indifference and one of warning. "I don't really see the need to put up decorations that only I shall see."

"Well," persisted Frisk, "maybe we could spend some time with you in here for a change-"

"No thank you." The politeness could skewer an unwary target. "It's pointless to try and build up hope. I am still a guest here."

Frisk found Chara's brown eyes. "You know that could change any time you wanted."

"Yes." The book snapped shut. "And it would end in tears, like it did once before. Cordial acquaintanceship is safer for everyone. Especially for him."

Another stalemate. The routine continued without variation. Frisk concluded the debate with their familiar shrug of feigned non-understanding, and left to get a head start on their own lunch. Chara tried to make a show of picking up where they left off, but they had neglected to leave a bookmark on the page. Rather than try to find the right spot only to immediately put the book down again, they opted to give up and accept some of Toriel's infinite hospitality.

Soon they were trying to empty a large bowl of creamy soup, sat across from Frisk who had systematically demolished their own bowl along with two rolls of bread. To a purely human palette, one might have guessed it was chicken soup, but the hint of what tasted like garlic informed Chara of its more gastropod nature. Frisk hadn't even realised it was snail soup, and Chara was saving that revelation for a rainy day. You don't use your advantage the moment you have it, you wait for the right moment. Instead they watched Frisk shovel the last dregs into their mouth, give Toriel a brisk hug and then race out, no doubt to play a game with Asriel or something. Ignorance can be bliss.

"Chara", asked Toriel, doing an admirable job of keeping her impulse to be a mother in check, "how is your independent study coming along?"

Chara swallowed their soup. "Could be worse," they said, their tone all business. "A lot of... interesting events happened on the surface since I was last there. I'm glad I can catch up on it."

"Oh good," said Toriel, hope seeping into her posture. "Have you given more thought to enrolling in school in the new year?"

"I have, but I'm still not ready." Unlike their earlier conversation with Frisk, this rejection had nothing to do with their ambivalent relationship with the Dreemurrs. "School requirements are quite different to when I last attended. I would be fine with some subjects, while others I would still be better off going three or four grades below my physical age."

"Well, it is not like your headmistress would not be aware of your unique circumstances, Chara. I would know why-"

Chara nodded. "You would know why. And most of the teachers would know why, eventually. But expecting all the students to understand would be beyond your resources and my patience. I'd rather not have to deal with that on top of the other difficulties that will inevitably arise. I will catch up on these subjects myself, and perhaps then I will accept your education. Maybe after the summer."

Toriel nodded, having intellectually understood Chara's wishes far more quickly than she could ever emotionally understand them. Still, watching them sincerely enjoy her soup was payment enough for the old Queen. There would always be room and board for Chara, no matter how much it was insisted there was no family connection between them.

One and a half rolls later, Chara's soup was finished. They took their bowl to the sink to rinse it, part of minimising their footprint within the house, then politely thanked Toriel for the lunch. On the way back to their room they stopped outside Frisk and Asriel's room, to avoid complete isolation. But it was empty. A little puzzled, for they hadn't heard the front door, they continued to their own room.

"Surprise!"

Asriel's fuzzy showbiz hands were the first thing Chara noticed, but quickly saw the rest of the room. Tinsel of every colour clashing with each other as they streamed from one corner of the room to another. Lights wrapped around the window and a painting on the wall. A small plastic tree with fake snow rested on their desk, on top of the book they had been reading. A toy snowman conducted a tinny rendition of a carol through a hidden speaker. A stocking with "Chara" hastily scribbled on it hung at the foot of their bed. Various red and gold ornaments took up every gap on their shelves not taken up by books.

"Well," continued Asriel, with a goofy grin, "do you like it?"

Chara looked at him, and the grin quickly faded. As they would have expected of one who had shared their soul, he quickly realised how happy they weren't. Frisk had no such bond however, and smiled almost in defiance of Chara, despite the fact they didn't even look particularly angry.

"Ch-Chara...?"

"Asriel. Please leave us alone for a few minutes."

Asriel's concerned face switched to an indignant scowl, like a light bulb had popped. "Hey, I'm not the idiot I used to be when we first met, Chara! You can't just order me about and expect me not to stand up for myself-"

**"Out."**

Another light bulb popped, and Asriel gave a small bleat of fear before sidestepping out of the room, not showing his back to them. With the door closed, revealing a badly altered picture of human Santa with horns and fur, Chara turned back to Frisk.

"...why?"

Frisk showed no remorse. "Acting like this time of year isn't actually happening isn't healthy."

"And forcing this time of year down my throat isn't a clean bill of health either, Frisk. I know you're not one for boundaries, but-"

"And you're one who's all about boundaries. 'No I won't spend any time with anyone in case I suddenly come down with a fit of the murders.' It's all you do these days."

Chara stepped forward, hand momentarily clenching around a handle that did not exist. "Forgive me for being too dead before. I play with you and Asriel. I talk to Asgore and Toriel and their guests."

Frisk folded their arms. "Begrudgingly. You're so hung up on what happened, even more than Asriel, that you've convinced yourself you can never have a friend again."

"That's not true, I am just waiting for-"

"For what? For it to have suddenly never happened? Keep waiting then."

Chara stomped their foot. As they half-expected there was another squeal from beyond the door and some scampering. "See what you made me do? I scared him, and he was convinced I could never do that again! I almost convinced myself I could never-"

Frisk's narrow eyes widened as Chara forced themselves into silence, still glaring accusingly at the intruder. Chara had achieved a pyrrhic victory, using a vulnerability they hadn't wanted to admit to actually wound Frisk, whose self-righteousness was now slowly deflating.

"You want me to 'get better', despite not really knowing what that looks like. And then you poke and prod at me like this, and now you're shocked I lash out. Why can't you accept that I'm coping?"

"Because..." Frisk looked at their feet, before suddenly clenching their fists with determination. "Because coping isn't enough, Chara."

Chara sniffed in contempt. "Enough?"

"You know what I see with you keeping everything and everyone at arm's length? You're sitting in a boat, just off the shore. You think if you wait long enough you'll drift into the harbour. But what I see happening is the waves pushing you further and further out to sea. You may not be in danger of sinking, but you have to row sooner or later. I just... wanted to help you row."

"...and what if someone gets in my boat and I push them overboard? Again?"

The last word was heavy with meaning, but Frisk just smirked. "I'm a good swimmer. Undyne's been seeing to that. There's no 'again' with us."

Chara looked away from Frisk, examining the ornaments now festooning their shelf. They picked up a Santa-clad skeleton. "Still a bad idea to jump aboard without asking, Frisk. I get pushy when the boat rocks unexpectedly."

"Were you ever going to say yes if I asked?"

"...maybe... No, probably not."

The skeletal ornament chose that moment to cut this somber self reflection short with a loud _pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt_. Much to Frisk's surprise Chara broke down into hysterical laughter. The wind, literally broken, was taken out of their sails.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... that trashbag can't leave anything alone, can he?"

Frisk shrugged. "I guess not. I didn't take you for a fan of potty humour."

"It's more the absurdist non sequitur aspect of it that... oh, never mind." Chara exhaled, and Frisk sensed the cleansing element of the gesture. "So, where do we stand?"

"Well," said Frisk, choosing their words carefully, "I'm not expecting you to headline Mettaton's next talent show or anything."

"Good."

"But maybe you should be more aware of what's going on, to help excise what led you to Mount Ebott in the first place. You can't do that alone. Just be careful with getting into a rut of declining every offer of outreach, or perhaps you'll wake up on Easter Sunday with an egg under your blankets."

"I saw a movie with something like that," said Chara, "only it was a horse's-"

"Let's find Asriel and build a snowgoat!" chirped Frisk.

Chara blinked. Then smirked at the abrupt topic change. "...very well. I shall try to do less drifting. Take an oar. I'm still at the rudder, though."

They didn't have to look for long, as Asriel had crept back to the door. There were tears, not all genuine as Asriel knew how to lay it on thick, but all were sourced in sincere relief, and as they fished for scarves and hats he had the habit of blowing raspberries to try and startle Chara into more laughter. This was unsuccessful, but only because of Chara's determination not to give him the satisfaction.

**Author's Note:**

> Original Suggestion: chara and frisk spend christmas together
> 
> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


End file.
